I’m someone who will work for working families, not the rich

There's a lot wrong with Congress today - too much gridlock and too little compromise. When it does act, Congress too often looks out for the interests of the wealthy, the powerful and the well-connected - like the billionaire Koch brothers and Big Oil - instead of working families like the one I grew up in here in Iowa.

Rather than an economy that works for the rich and big corporations, we need an economy that works for everyone - that will be my priority if I'm elected as U.S. Senator.

I grew up in Brooklyn, Iowa. My father was a World War II veteran who managed a grain elevator and sold insurance. Mom worked as a teacher.

They taught me about hard work - and I had to work hard to help pay my way through college. I waited tables, worked at a grain elevator, and helped build roads and bridges for the Poweshiek County Roads Department.

I met my wife, Carolyn, at an Eagles concert and, after we got married, we moved to Waterloo, where we've lived since. I'm proud to say that our three grown kids are still living here in Iowa.

I'm running to ensure all of Iowa's working families have the opportunities I had to build their own American dream. That dream shouldn't be out of reach for anyone willing to work hard and lift themselves up.

That's why I support raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, giving 300,000 Iowans a pay raise.

It's why I'll never vote to privatize Social Security or Medicare, because we shouldn't gamble hardworking Iowans' retirement savings on Wall Street.

Instead, we should strengthen these programs and ensure millionaires and billionaires pay the same into these programs as working families.

I'll also fight to make sure tax breaks go to the middle class, not millionaires or companies that ship jobs overseas.

And I'll work to reduce the burden of paying for college. Let's expand Pell Grants, lower college loan interest rates and allow graduates to refinance their debt to lower interest rates, saving thousands of dollars.

The wealthy and special interests already have enough friends in Washington. Iowans deserve a senator who will stand up for them - someone who will be a bridge builder, not a bridge burner.

I'll be a senator on your side, and I hope to earn your vote.

' Bruce Braley is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. Comments: brucebraley.com